Review of Crypto-Rebels in Cryptologia

[smo@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Shawn O'Connor)]

In the October issue of Cryptologia, Louis Kruh reviews the "Crypto
Rebels" article by Stephen Levy that appeared in Wired.  

Shawn
smo@gnu.ai.mit.edu

Article liberated without permission.  

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Cryptologia.  Vol. XV11, Number 4  (October 1993)

From the column "Reviews and Things Cryptologic" by Louis Kruh.

Crypto Rebels Write-Up  

[Wired 1.2]

  Wired is a new magazine aimed at the "Digital Generation." The cover 
story in its second issue examines the growing "Cypherpunk" movement
to insure individual privacy.

  According to the author, Cypherpunks believe that all information about 
an individual belongs to that person and opinions, medical records, 
personal data collected by local, state or national governmental agencies,
communications sent by the individual or any other information should be
available only if the person involved chooses to reveal it.  And the 
means through which this privacy would be maintained is by the widespread
use of virtually unbreakable public-key cryptography.
  
  Opposing forces are U.S. government agencies who seek to insure their 
ability to read public-key encrypted messages by the continuance of 
electronic surveillance and by having access to public-key cryptography's
secret keys when authorized by a judge.

  The author suggests that the government cryptologic monopoly was 
destroyed in 1975 when Whitfield Diffie created public-key cryptography.
His later work with Martin Hellman is recounted along with the 
implementation of the Diffie-Hellman system by three MIT computer 
scientists who founded RSA Data Security to market their patented 
algorithms.  

  A well known figure in academic crypto circles, Georgetown Professor
Dorothy Denning, counters Cypherpunk beliefs by pointing out that 
"Organized Crime leaders, drug dealers, terrorists, and other criminals
could conspire and act with impunity" if electronic surveillance was 
illegal and authorized agencies did not have access to private keys
used in public-key cryptography.

  The article explores many views and contains a great deal of 
fascinating information.

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